Women should be aware that all cancers detected during breast cancer screenings are not necessarily lethal. More intensive screening tends to reveal even cancers that may lie dormant or cause no harm. A recent study in the British Medical Journal shows that nearly 52% of mammograms in areas offering organized screening are over-diagnosed, with one in three overdiagnosed overall. The danger lies in the health problems that may result from unnecessary treatment (such as chemotherapy, radiation or surgery).
A mammogram uses x-rays to detect masses in the breast tissue, allowing doctors to detect breast cancer in its early stages when it’s most likely to be cured. Women over the age of forty are encouraged to get a mammogram every 1-2 years. Although a mammogram is beneficial when lethal cancers are detected, it may be harmful when perceiving those that are not.

It is estimated that one in three breast cancer mammography screenings are overdiagnosed. Overdiagnosis occurs when the patient dies before cancer complications occur, whether it's because the cancer grows too slowly or simply remains dormant.

Because it is impossible to discriminate between types of cancers that will not cause death or symptoms and those that will, all types of cancer are treated. In fact, 37% of women age 40-54 who died from causes other than breast cancer had invasive or non-invasive cancer legions at autopsy, half of which were visible on radiography.

Researcher Karl Julh Jørgensen, co-author and researcher of the study, wrote “The increase in incidence of breast cancer was closely related to the introduction of screening and little of this was compensated for by a drop in incidence of breast cancer in previously screened women.”

Jørgensen, along with director Peter C Gøtzsche, both of The Nordic Cochrane Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, gathered information for the review by compiling several studies from Norway, Sweden, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, using data seven years prior to screening and seven years after.

Researchers obtained information from women too young to be screened to use as a control. This information was compared with pre-screening trends of the screened group to establish a background incidence.

The rate of diagnosis for women younger than 50 and greater than 74 remained constant, but when the post-screening trend in women age 50-69 was examined, breast cancer diagnosis was almost 42% higher than expected.  This was followed by a 15% decline in diagnosis for women over the age of 70. Over-diagnosis for breast cancer alone was 35%, which jumped to 52% when carcinoma in situ (at its original site) was included.

Although factors such as the use of hormone replacement therapy (associated with an increased risk of breast cancer) and incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) may play a factor in the statistics, researchers still attribute much of this change in diagnosis to organized and more frequent screening.

Other deviations due to the nature of different types of cancer must still be accounted for, but the study’s findings do stress taking precautions in breast cancer screening.

Digital mammography readings, for example, in lieu of traditional mammograms (that tend to detect a higher rate of false positives due to poorer image quality) may be the best procedure, but knowing the facts about breast cancer’s risks can help prevent complications as a result of overdiagnosis.

Visit our Breast Cancer Community.

Bill Rodgers, the former top-ranked marathon runner in the world, is running next Monday’s 113th Boston Marathon to promote prostate cancer awareness at the age of 61. A four-time winner of the Boston Marathon, Rodgers will be helping Athletes for a Cure, a program of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, to raise funds for and build awareness of prostate cancer.

Rodgers was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. “There was no indication of any problem before I was diagnosed,” said Rodgers in a press release. “I’ve always tried to watch my health. Being so physically active, I was completely shocked to learn I had prostate cancer. I was also surprised to find out one out of six American men will also be in this same situation sometime in their lives. Prostate cancer is just that prevalent.”

Risk factors for prostate cancer include being 50 years of age or older; being of African heritage; having a brother, son, or father who had prostate cancer; and eating a high fat diet or drinking alcohol.

The American Cancer Society does not recommend routine prostate cancer screening for all men but recommends that health care professionals “offer testing with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal exam (DRE) yearly, beginning at age 50, to men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and have at least a 10-year life expectancy.” They also recommend that screening be considered at 40 or 45 if the person has high risk factors such as being of African American heritage and having a family history of prostate cancer at an early age.

The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and one of the most prestigious races. In 2008 nearly 22,000 runners completed the course.

For more information, see Healia’s resources about prostate cancer prevention and screening, and cancer organizations and healthcare providers. Or get online support from our online community for prostate cancer.


_{Photo: Paul Keleher, Flickr, Creative Commons}

A novel prostate cancer vaccine may become the first approved cancer treatment vaccine in the United States. The Seattle-based biotechnology company Dendreon announced today that their treatment vaccine called Provenge “significantly prolongs survival in men with advanced prostate cancer.” A clinical trial of 512 men with metastatic prostate cancer showed that the vaccine significantly improved the odds of survival from prostate cancer compared to a placebo.

Provenge is a therapeutic or treatment vaccine, where a drug stimulates the patient’s own immune system to fight prostate cancer cells. The drug is produced from a patient's own cells and is used when testosterone hormone blockers are no longer effective. Therapeutic vaccines do not prevent disease like traditional vaccines do but rather they stimulate the patient’s own immune system to attack cancer cells after they have already developed.

If approved later this year, Provenge could be first cancer treatment vaccine in the United States. Two years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declined to approve the drug at that time and elected to wait for the results of the clinical trial that were briefly described today. The full clinical trials results will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association on April 28th in Chicago.

Cancer vaccines can be used to prevent cancer or to treat cancer. To date, the FDA has approved two vaccines that prevent cancer--a vaccine against the hepatitis B virus that causes liver cancer and a vaccine against human papillomavirus, which accounts for most cases of cervical cancer. If approved by the FDA, Provenge could be the first approved cancer treatment vaccine.

Many scientists believe that cancer treatment vaccines are a much more precise and less dangerous method to treat cancer compared to traditional chemotherapy where massive doses of potentially toxic drugs are used.

Learn more about the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer at Healia or ask our health professionals or medical students a question about prostate cancer.


_{Photo: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, public domain}

Scientists have developed a new test that can be used to detect cancers and monitor the progress of cancer treatments by using a tiny drop of blood or speck of tissue smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine described their novel technique in a paper published yesterday in Nature Medicine.

The technique, nanofluidic proteomic immunoassay or NIA, uses special laboratory equipment and reagents to differentiate cancer types by analyzing the levels of various cancer-specific proteins in the sample. Variations in the way cancer-related proteins are modified, or phosphorylated, can impact tumor progression.

The researchers hope that the new technique will allow cancers to be detected and cancer treatments to be assessed without the need for invasive surgical biopsies. “Surgical biopsies usually require general anesthesia and large amounts of tissue,” said the lead author, oncologist Alice Fan, MD. “If we can figure out how to go in with a needle and remove just a few cells for analysis, we could repeatedly assess how the tumor is responding to treatment.”

Currently, the gold standard for evaluating the effectiveness of many cancer treatments is to monitor shrinking of the tumor. With nanofluidic proteomic immunoassay, researchers see a promising way to determine treatment success much earlier on the cellular level.

The research group showed that their technique was effective in samples of blood cancers and are now applying their test to head and neck tumors. However, this research is still in its early stages and the widespread availability of this test is uncertain. The study was supported by the National Cancer Institute and other cancer organizations.

Go to Healia for more information about cancer diagnosis and treatment, test your knowledge about cancer, find cancer organizations and healthcare providers, or to ask a question about cancer.


_{Photo: Bethany L King, Flickr, Creative Commons}

A Presidential proclamation has designated April as National Cancer Control Month and the public is urged to adopt healthy habits to reduce the risk of cancer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that 1,437,180 new cases of cancer will occur and 565,650 people will die of cancer in the United States in 2008.

The good news is that there has been significant progress in America’s battle with cancer in the last decade. In NCI’s latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, published in November 2008, overall cancer incidence rates decreased 0.8 percent per year from 1999 through 2005. And death rates for all cancers dropped among all racial and ethnic groups and in men and women, except for American Indian/Alaska Native people. Cancer death rates declined for 10 of the top 15 types of cancer. The NCI report also noted that the overall decrease in cancer incidence and death rates was mainly a result of declines in lung, colon/rectum, and prostate cancers among men, decreases of breast cancer and colon/rectum cancers among women, and a leveling off of lung cancer deaths among women.

As part of their cancer awareness efforts, the NCI has provided four personal recommendations for cancer prevention and control:

Quit smoking
If you smoke, quitting smoking is probably the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of cancer and other serious diseases.  Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Smoking also increases the risk of many other types of cancer, such as cancer of the throat, mouth, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and cervix.

Talk with your doctor about cancer screening
Regular screening for cancer reduces the risk of developing certain cancers and helps detect cancer in its early and most treatable stages. Ask your doctor or other healthcare professional about what cancer screening tests are appropriate for your gender, age, and personal profile. Studies have shown that most Americans know about common screening tests for cancer such as mammograms, Pap smears, and colonoscopies, but few know when they should be conducted.

Improve your diet
Eating a well-balanced healthy diet may reduce your risk of developing cancer and other serious illnesses. A healthy diet includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. But a healthy diet also avoids foods that are low in overall nutrients (such as candy and soda pop) and limits the intake of Trans and saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, and may also limits intake of foods with a high glycemic index.

Increase physical activity
Regular physical activity can help reduce your risk of colon, breast, and other cancers. Studies have also shown a link between regular physical activity and reduced risk of prostate, lung, and endometrial cancer. Regular physical activity can also improve your health by helping with weight control; promoting emotional well-being; and reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

To support National Cancer Control Month, Healia has recently made several cancer information resources from NCI available, including cancer information summaries, and directories of cancer organizations and cancer healthcare providers. Other cancer-related information sources include health guides, health quizzes, and cancer-related communities.


_{Photo: TBG, Flickr, Creative Commons}

A DNA test for the human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading risk factor for cervical cancer, is better than the Pap smear and other screening methods at preventing cervical cancer according to a new study.

The multi-year study of 131,746 women in India, published in last week's New England Journal of Medicine, showed that a single round of HPV DNA testing was more effective than other screening methods at preventing cervical cancer and related deaths. 

Health experts believe that the widespread introduction of the DNA test for HPV could result in the elimination or reduction of use of the Pap smear, the gold standard for cervical cancer detection in the United States. With the Pap smear, cells from the cervix are collected by a clinician and sent to a laboratory where they are examined for cellular abnormalities. In contrast, the DNA screening test also uses cervical cells but results are read by a machine and not as prone to subjective assessment.

HPV is the most common STD in the United States with more than half of all sexually active women and men becoming infected at some point in their lives. Although most women with cervical cancer are infected with HPV, not all women with HPV will develop cervical cancer as only certain types of HPV cause abnormal cells to develop.

A spokesman for the National Cancer Institute has urged medical professionals to adopt HPV DNA testing. Hurdles to adoption of the DNA test include hesitation by gynecologists and other primary care doctors to do away with Pap smears, which have been credited with dramatically reducing the rate of cervical cancer deaths in the United States.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists currently does not recommend the HPV DNA test for women younger than 30.  For women over 30, the organization suggests that women get an HPV DNA test at the same time as a Pap smear.

Read more about HPV and cervical cancer screening or submit a question to our medical students or health professionals.


_{Photo: euthman, Flickr, Creative Commons}

According to various press reports, Farrah Fawcett, the former "Charlie's Angels" star, has been hospitalized for complications related to her ongoing treatment for anal cancer. Her public battle with anal cancer and commensurate media coverage of the actress provide an opportunity to educate the public about this relatively rare cancer. Because of its anatomical location and its risk factors, many people are uncomfortable talking about anal cancer.

Farrah Fawcett has been fighting anal cancer since 2006 and the cancer has apparently spread to her liver. However, contrary to initial news reports, she is not terminally ill at this time and is expected to be discharged in a few days.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that there were 5,070 new cases of anal cancer in the United States in 2008 with 680 deaths. According to the NCI, the main risk factors for developing anal cancer are:

• Being over 50 years old.
• Being infected with human papillomavirus (HPV).
• Having many sexual partners.
• Having receptive anal intercourse (anal sex).
• Frequent anal redness, swelling, and soreness.
• Having anal fistulas (abnormal openings).
• Smoking cigarettes.

Possible signs and symptoms of anal cancer include:

• Bleeding from the anus or rectum.
• Pain or pressure in the area around the anus.
• Itching or discharge from the anus.
• A lump near the anus.
• A change in bowel habits.

Other diseases can cause similar signs and symptoms but you should contact your doctor if you experience these problems. The odds of survival from anal cancer depend mainly on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. Anal cancer is treated with radiation therapy using radiation to kill cancer cells, chemotherapy using drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, and/or surgery to remove cancerous tissue.

For more information, read the NCI’s summary on anal cancer, ask a question about anal cancer or join the anal cancer support group on Healia Communities. Additional cancer summaries from NCI are also available on Healia.


_{Photo: Hamed Masoumi, Flickr, Creative Commons}

A new study finds that eating large amounts of red meat may increase the risk of death. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute undertook one of the largest studies ever to look at the connection between red meat consumption and health and found that the people who eat the most red meat, which includes beef and pork products, are at greater risk of dying than those who eat the least red meat. The study also found a more modest increase in the risk of death associated with eating processed meats such as hot dogs and cold cuts.

The study, which appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine, examines records from more than 500,000 individuals between the ages of 50 and 71 who took part in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Participants provided demographic information and completed a food frequency questionnaire to estimate their intake of white, red and processed meats.

After 10 years, the people in the top one-fifth for red meat consumption – who consumed the equivalent of a quarter-pounder or a small steak every day – were more likely to have died than those who were in the bottom one-fifth for red meat consumption – who ate the equivalent of a small steak each week. The researchers estimate that 11 percent of deaths in men and 16 percent of deaths in women could be prevented if people decreased their red meat consumption to the level that those in the lowest one-fifth consume.

Eating more red meat increased the risk of death by any cause by 31 percent for men and 36 percent for women. The risk of cancer death increased 22 percent for men and 20 percent for women and the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease increased 27 percent for men and 50 percent for women. The risk of death was also higher for men and women who ate the most processed meats but the size of the increase was about half that seen for red meat. The researchers took into account other risk factors for death such as smoking, family history of cancer, and high body mass index.

On the other hand, the researchers found a small decrease in the risk of overall death and cancer death for both men and women with the highest intake of white meat, such as chicken, turkey, and fish, compared to those who ate the least amount of white meat.

Red meat may contribute increase the risk of death in several ways. Cooking red meat at high temperatures creates cancer-causing compounds. Red meat is also a source of saturated fat, which has been tied to an increase in the risk of some cancers and also increases several measures associated with heart disease, including blood pressure and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels.

While the large study seems to strongly support the contention that red meat can be bad for your health, there are some limitations. For one, the participants in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study tend to be healthier than same-aged people who are not in the AARP so it is unclear whether the results will apply to everyone. Also, the study relied on people's memory of what they ate, which can be faulty, and only asked them about their meat consumption at the outset of the study, meaning any changes in diet that occurred during the study were not taken into account.

Note that the study does not conclude that cutting out red meat completely may improve your health; there was no comparison group in the study that ate no red meat. Nonetheless, if you are in the top fifth for red meat or processed meat consumption, you may want to consider eating less of these things and perhaps replacing them in your diet with another source of protein such as white meat, nuts, beans, egg, or dairy products.

Want to learn more about a healthy, balanced diet? Join the Healia Community for Diet and Nutrition. To find out more about heart disease and your diet, read the Healia Health Guide to Heart Disease.

_{Photo: ThisParticularGreg, Flickr, Creative Commons}

In February of this year, President Obama signed into law an expansion of the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to help provide health insurance for uninsured children. The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 will be funded by a significant increase in the federal tax for cigarettes. The new taxes go into effect on April 1 and will raise the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes from the current 39 cents to $1.01 per-pack. Public health experts predict that the new tax may result in as many as 1 million U.S. smokers quitting.

With the tax hike, smoking will become a very expensive, in addition to be being a deadly, habit. According to the American Cancer Society, about 443,000 people in the United States die every year from smoking-related illnesses. This death toll is more than the numbers of deaths from alcohol, motor vehicle accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined.

President Obama, a cigarette smoker himself, has been trying to quit according to recent news reports.

Interested in quitting smoking before the new federal taxes kick in? Try the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services new website for quitting or call their hotline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW. You can also try posting your questions on the online support group for smoking on Healia Communities.

_{Photo: gruntzooki, Flickr, Creative Commons}

The National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention combined efforts to compile cancer incidence and mortality statistics for 1999-2004. These statistics show information on cancer incidence and mortality based on race gender, and geographic categories. This continues our series of cancer incidence and demographics, and lists the most common types of cancer in women. The numbers listed in parentheses below are new cases per 100,000 women.

The top 10 most common types of cancer diagnosed in U.S. women are:

1. Breast Cancer (117.7)
2. Lung (and Bronchus) Cancer (54.2)
3. Colon and Rectal Cancer (42.7)
4. Corpus and Uterus, NOS (23.1)
5. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (16.1)
6. Skin Melanomas (14.0)
7. Thyroid Cancer (13.8)
8. Ovarian Cancer (12.5)
9. Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer (10.0)
10. Pancreatic Cancer (9.7)

Use the to find out more information about the above diseases. Join Healia Health Communities or read our cancer information summaries from the NCI for more information about cancer incidence, treatment, and prevention.

Related blog post: Top 10 Most Common Types of Cancer Diagnosed in U.S. Men

_{Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2004 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute; 2007. Available at: www.cdc.gov/uscs}

_{Photo: Davvyk, Flickr, Creative Commons}